A wide-scale training is conducted for the Agriculture and Environment Division field personnel of National Statistics Office of Georgia. Geostat will carry out the Sample Survey of Agricultural Holdings by a completely new and modern electronic method of data collection (CAPI) since 2018. Geostat will start data collection by CAPI method since January 2018 and it will replace paper questionnaires and it will also improve data collection timing and quality. The training course on the survey methodology and data collection by using tablets will be conducted for the field personnel of Geostat and more than 300 employees of regional office from November 25 to December 13.

Today, the training started for the interviewers and employees of Shida Kartli region. “Implementing android system tablets in data collection for the Sample Survey of Agricultural Holdings is an important new project for Geostat that will facilitate survey modernizations. The introduction of electronic methods of data collection will improve data quality and timing and will reduce the costs of data inputting, coordination among field personnel and printing of the questionnaires. Therefore, conducting the qualified trainings for the employees involved in the survey is of highly importance”, - stated Ms. Meri Daushvili, Executive Director of Geostat.

The CAPI software was created through the technical assistance of the World Bank and by using Survey Solution program. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) presented technical equipment - 365 Tablets and two servers - to Geostat.

It should be noted that carrying out data collection by the electronic method (CAPI) is the obligation, envisaged by the II stage of the “European Neighbourhood Programme for Agriculture and Rural Development in Georgia” (ENPARD Georgia II).